Homemade Pizza Crust

Homemade Pizza Crust

This dough is great for homemade pizza nights!  It freezes well too so it makes it so convenient to have on hand for busy nights! 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cup water, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the bread flour and salt, mixing briefly to blend.  Measure the room temperature water and combine with the warm water-yeast mixture.  With the mixer on low speed, pour in the yeast-water mixture, as well as the olive oil.  Mix until a cohesive dough is formed.  Switch to the dough hook.  Knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2-2 hours. 
Press down the dough to deflate it.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball. (If freezing the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at this point.)  Cover with a damp cloth.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes, but no longer than 30 minutes.
To bake, preheat the oven and your pizza stone to 500*F for at least 30 minutes.  Transfer the dough to your shaping surface, lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  Shape the dough with lightly floured hands.  Brush the outer edge lightly with olive oil.  Top as desired.  Bake until the crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling, 8-12 minutes. 

**Tips:
If you don't plan on using your dough immediately, freeze it.  To do this, mix up the dough as usual and let it rise as normal.  After dividing the dough into two equal portions, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag and transfer to the freezer immediately.  The double layer is important here!
The day you plan to use the dough, transfer it to the refrigerator in the morning to thaw in time for dinner that evening. 
Use a pizza stone!
Before making the pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take off the chill.  Preheat oven and pizza stone at 500*F for 30 minutes as well.  While waiting, get toppings ready. 
Place dough on parchment paper sprinkled lightly with cornmeal and shape the dough using lightly floured hands. 
If the dough springs back a lot while you are trying to shape it, let it rest for 15 minutes and try again.  This allows the gluten in the dough to relax and should make shaping easier.
You can also use this dough for calzones or pizza bites!


By: Annie's Eats